This chorus from of Act 2 of The Garden of Martyrs opera depicts the ghoulish revelry of crowds arrived in Northampton to witness a public execution.
The stagecoach deposits Cheverus (William Hite) and Finola (Amy Johnson) in Northampton that same afternoon. With Finola nursing her baby and Cheverus not in his habit, they appear to be a young married couple. The crowds eye them suspiciously with a chorus of: “Where you from?”
Turned down by all for a place to lodge, Cheverus and Finola are approached by the Widow Clark (Marjorie Melnick), who offers them a bed for the night, for a price. Finola accepts her offer of a bed. As the Widow sings a tender lullaby to Finola’s baby boy, Cheverus becomes increasingly drunk and disoriented.